Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



W. S. SMOOT.

I Improvement in Breech-Loading Fire-Arms.

NC 133,063. Patented Nov.12,i872.

VIIIIIIIIII I VIIIII x v Witnesses,

AM. PHOIULITIIOGRAFHIG CUJVJT (OSBOHNE S PROCESS.)

NrrED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

WILLIAM S. SMOOT, OF ILION, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LQADING FIRE-ARMS.

U Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 133,063, datedNovember 12, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM SYDNEY SMOOT, of Ilion, county of Herkimerand State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement inBreech-Loading Fire- Arms, of which the following is a full and exactdescription, reference being had to the drawing forming a part of thisspecification.

My invention is designed with reference to that class of breech-loadingfire-arms in which the ignition of the charge is effected through afiring-pin, which receives the blow of the hammer and transmits it tothe cartridge; and my said invention consists in the arrangement andcombination of a lever pivoted to a solid breech-block, and connected atits upper end with the firing-pin, and kept in contact at its lower endwith a fixed stud or shoulder by means of a spring, by which, when thebreechblock is swung away fromthe chamber to permit the insertion of acartridge, the lever is caused to ride over the shoulder, and by anangular movement withdraw the firing-pin into the breech-block but whenthe latter is closed the bearing of the lever upon the shoulder willhold the breech-block in such position.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown my invention as applied to whatis known as the Remington rifle; but it is equally applicable, withcertain obvious modifications, to any other form of breech-block,whether the same swings from a center above or below the axis of thebarrel, 0r slides transverse to or parallel with the axis of the barrelin closing or unclosing the chamber.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the barrel and breech-block,a portion of the side of the frame being removed for the purpose ofshowing the operation of the several parts. Fig. 2 is a front view ofthe breechblock.

In Fig. 1 the breech-blockB has a slot in its rear portion for thereception of a lever, O, pivoted to the breech-block at or near thecenter of its length, and capable. of a limited amount of angular orvibratory movement. The upper end of this lever takes into a notch inthe firing-pin E, and its lower end is kept in contact with a pin orstud, D, on the frame by means of a spring, S.

It will be observed that the notch in th firing-pin is wider than theend of lever O by an amount equal to the movement of the pin.

The mode of operation of the above is as follows: When the breech blockis swung away from the chamber to permit the insertion of a cartridgethe lower end of lever (J rides .over the stud D, compressing the springS,

thereby moved forward, leaving the firing.

pin free to be driven forward by the hammer without imparting any motionto the retractor.

When the firing-pin reaches the end of its for ward movement it comes incontact with the upper end of the extractor-lever, and the several partsare then in position to repeat the series of operations just described.

It will be observed that the piece 0 is thus caused to perform thedouble function of withdrawing the firing-pin and holding the breech inits closed position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In abreech-loading fire-arm having a solid breech-block, the combination andarrangement of the lever G, pivoted to the breech-block, with thefiring-pin E and fixed shoulder D, to operate substantially as and forthe purpose herein set forth.

2. In combination with the lever O, pivoted as described, and the fixedshoulder D, I claim the spring S, arranged to operate as described,whereby the breechblock is held in its closed position, as set forth.

' W. S. SMOO'I. [L. s.] Witnesses:

H. H. BENEDICT, S. S. Wnsroorr.

